The Orphanage
by Flaring Rhythm
Summary: The orphange of 'Safe Haven' holds secrets of darkness,disturbing happenings,and dark echoes of dark children.Can Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie cain save everything before it's too late? Or will it all fall? Some major Valduggery 8D
1. screaming

Chapter one- screaming.

Skulduggery pleasant and valkyrie cain drove along winding roads going through hills near the seaside.

There were grey skies but it was quite bright.

' is…it scary…in this orphanage?' valkyrie asked.

They were on there way to 'safe haven' orphanage, to investigate strange happenings, which hadn't been solved for years.

Skulduggery looked at her and took her hand

' seeing as I've been here before?'

' yes'

' it is scary. Terrifyingly so. Its dark and creepy and disturbing with a lot of secret rooms and undiscovered noises and happenings and I swore…when I was there…I could hear children' skulduggery said quietly, gripping valkyries hand a little tighter.

Valkyrie swallowed loudly.

Real and true terror pierced her stomach. She didn't really want to go in here any more. Dead children, memories of depression and death and darkness and screaming.

' why where you there?' she asked, trying to keep her mind of all that darkness, but she knew it wouldn't work. They were saying the night.

' did I not tell you?'

' nope'

' oh. Well…I was called out there….years ago because someone just died. Just like that. It was a child. A little girl. Nobody had ever seen her before. Nobody had ever heard of her before. There were no records of her attending any school, or having any family. She didn't even have a name. and her body was found. Curled up in the attic, holding a doll, and her whole body was entirely mutilated. Some of my colleagues had to leave the room because they couldn't the scene, or the feeling. It's a very dark mystery.'

Valkyrie nodded and shuddered, staring out the windscreen at a flock of sheep. One looked like fletcher.

' so…why are we here? another death?' she asked

' nope. Just pure disturbing things have been going on here, and everyone is too scared to do anything about it. And a lot of screaming.'

'w-what?'

'Screaming. People have reported screaming and banging and their doorsteps and all their clothes splattered with blood. Most disturbing of all, they've found Victorian, mutilated and blood splattered clothes that Victorian children would've worn…in orphanages. And this orphanage is the only house around for miles…and Theres something in there.'


	2. the only thing scarier

Chapter two- the only thing scarier than this is…actually. Theres nothing scarier. Well, except Fletcher.

They pulled up to the house and Valkyrie shuddered when she saw it.

'Wow, that's creepy' she murmured, almost to herself

'I know. The only thing scarier then this is…actually. Theres nothing scarier. Well…except Fletcher.' Skulduggery said, trying to brighten the mood, but there was something up. Something different about skulduggery's tone. And Valkyrie didn't know what. Like there was something he wasn't telling her.

The house was old and Victorian and the plaster was peeling of the walls. The roof badly needed reshingled and the whole place was a mess and old. It looked like Shakra flame after four whiskeys and an argument about turtles with Gerard way. Which happened too often, but to the great amusement of tanith and flaring. Druna just wanted to hug Gerard.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie got out of the car and skulduggery gazed around him. There was definitely something up.

A woman, who looked in her late thirties, came out of the house. she smiled warmly, but she looked sleep deprived.

'mr pleasant, miss Cain, I am incredibly glad you're here. thank you so much.' She smiled happily

Skulduggery titled his head to the side

'Do…do you live here?' Skulduggery asked that weird tone in his voice again. But recognisation too.

The woman stared back too.

'Um…yes…I…what…yes. Are you? No. you can't be.' She seemed to snap out of it 'oh, sorry, I thought…never mind. Welcome. I trust you can solve this mystery for me? I am heather shine by the way' heather smiled

Skulduggery froze again, but seemed to snap out of it

He shook heathers hand.

'Well, you both better come in' heather smiled

She grinned at Valkyrie and shook her hand too.

'Hello my dear, its lovely to meet you' she smiled. She looked younger with a bright grin on her face. Less sleep deprived too.

Valkyrie smiled back.

'cool to meet you to' she said, then they stepped into the house

' so' skulduggery said 'where do we start then?'

Heather hesitated

She turned to valkyrie

' perhaps you would like to come with me my dear?' she asked her

' uh…sure' valkyrie said, giving skulduggery a look that said i-know-you-think-i-dont-know-that-theres-something-you-don't-want-me-to-know -but-i-know-that-you-don't-want-me-to-know-something-so-I'll-be-back-so-be-good.

' you stay here and try not to break anything' heather added to skulduggery

Valkyrie snickered

Heather lead valkyrie up a spooky wooden staircase and valkyrie shivered

' cold?' heather asked

' yeah' valkyrie admitted

'its always cold here. Even sitting in front of the fire' heather sighed 'the paranormal sucks' she added, sounding like a stroppy teenager that wasn't allowed to have a massive house party

Valkyrie laughed

' hopefully, we'll get this sorted out' valkyrie reassured. Although she was having more trouble reassuring herself.

Heather nodded half heartedly then hesitated at the top step. She turned to Valkyrie.

'Valkyrie…im about to let you meet my son, Daniel. He's six. But he's…strange. Something is…up with him, you know? He says he can see people. I…sometimes get scared of him. Of the things he can see and hear and do. But he has a kind heart, and I know…whatever's going on with him, he means no harm to anyone. So please, be…open minded.' Heather said

' if I wasn't open minded, I wouldn't be doing what im doing now' valkyrie smiled, although she was slightly scared.

A seven year old? Creepy.

Valkyrie swallowed, and followed heather to a closed door. Valkyrie could hear whoever inside. He was talking, and nobody was replying.

Heather opened the door. Valkyrie couldn't see anyone.

'Daniel? Sweetheart?' heather crooned quietly

'Yes, mother?' a small, sweet, voice replied back.

' Theres someone here to see you, darling'

'really, mummy? Thomas doesn't want to see anyone'

' please let her in. she's very nice'

There was silence for a second, then the little boy whispered something, like an argument, then spoke loudly

' Thomas left, mother, she can come in now'

' Ok. I love you'

The boy didn't reply.

Heather motioned for Valkyrie to come into the room.

Valkyrie hesitated, and then stepped in.

Heather smiled encouragingly, then shut the door quietly. Leaving valkyrie in the room with Daniel.

A little boy, with big brown eyes and fair hair was sitting on his bed, swinging his legs.

He looked up and gazed at valkyrie.

'Who are you?' he asked

'Im valkyrie Cain' Valkyrie said, kneeling beside the boy.

'Oh. Thomas is scared of you. He says you're going to hurt him.'

Valkyries breath caught in her throat. She was all of a sudden completely and utterly terrified.

'…whose Thomas?' she asked

'He's my friend. But sometimes he scares me. He tells me stories and im the only one that can see him' Daniel said

Valkyrie shuddered

'Is he here?'

'Yes'

Valkyrie needed to get out of the room right that second. She took the

Daniels hand

'Come on, lets go downstairs' she said, forcing a smile on her face

'But Thomas doesn't want to go' Daniel protested

'Thomas can stay here' Valkyrie said quickly. She scooped Daniel up in her arms and bounded down the stairs.

They got downstairs and valkyries heart race started to slow again

'Are you alright?' skulduggery asked when he saw her face

Valkyrie shook her head

'I don't know' she said

Skulduggery wrapped his arm around her.

'Tell me about it later' he said quietly, then pulled away.

Daniel looked up at her with huge, worried eyes.

'Everything's ok' Valkyrie assured him. He buried his head in her shoulder.

They walked into the living room where Valkyrie sat on a blood red sofa. Skulduggery remained standing.

They were silent, and it started to become a little awkward.

They could hear heather working in the kitchen, and the ticking of a clock somewhere.

Valkyrie took in her surroundings. The house was huge, and old, and terrifying. The ceilings were high and it had a disturbing air about it.

It was no place to raise a six year old, Valkyrie thought. Valkyrie had the urge to take skulduggery's hand, take Daniel, who was still in her arms, and run out of this house as far away as they could. She wanted to _run._

'Are you sure your ok?' skulduggery asked, making her jump

Valkyrie bit her lip, but nodded.

All of a sudden, a knock echoed through the house, and Valkyrie froze. Something told her she should be very, very, scared. She heard Daniel whimper and bury his head deeper in her shoulder.

Another knock echoed through the house, then another, then another, until it sounded like a thousand people were knocking on the walls and doors and windows and floors. Heather rushed into the room with a kit bag in her hand and grabbed Valkyrie wrist and dragged her up from the sofa

'Everyone outside now' she said sternly, her voice spiked with panic.

Everyone ran outside and heather slammed the door behind her.

They knocking got louder and louder as they stood a safe distance away and watched the house shake. Valkyrie grabbed skulduggery's hand and he squeezed it reassuringly.

'We'll get away from here as soon as possible' he murmured above the noise, so low Valkyrie could hardly hear.

She nodded.

And then the rumbling knocking stopped and heather sighed in relief, like this was normal for the house to go mental.

' that happens nearly every bloody week' she muttered

'This happens a lot?' skulduggery asked

'Oh all the time' heather laughed 'we just run outside, it's a drill'

'Why don't you just move?' Valkyrie asked

Heather ignored the question and forced a smile

'It's late; I'll show you to your room and put Daniel to bed'

Valkyrie nodded, letting go of skulduggery's hand and walking beside him into the house

She let heather put Daniel to bed. She didn't want to go into his room again.

The room skulduggery and Valkyrie where sharing was like any other bedroom. Quite plain, but nice, if not a little dark. With dark bed sheet and a wooden bed and floor. Cream walls, a desk and chair, heavy dark curtains and a navy love seat.

Heather left them to themselves to settle in and went downstairs.

'This place creeps the hell out of me' Valkyrie said

'It is very odd' skulduggery agreed.

Valkyrie climbed onto the bed and curled up.

Skulduggery came up and sat down at the foot of the bed. He looked at her.

'Do you want to tell me why you looked so horror struck today?' he asked gently

Valkyrie bit her lip and looked down at the bed covers, deliberating.

Skulduggery got up and sat down beside her, pulling the covers up and her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

'What happened?' he asked again

Valkyrie sighed shakily and leaned her head on skulduggery's chest, catching up to her actions a second later, she froze.

_Ah crap _she thought _I just did that, didn't I? Wonderful. _

But she relaxed, with some shock, when skulduggery wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer

_Ah stuff it _Valkyrie thought _I'll probably not live through this case anyway…_

She reached up, taking his skull in her hands, and kissed him passionately

_Sweet mother of…_skulduggery's annoying voice thought.

How long had he stayed up pointlessly late thinking about the moment she'd do that. Incredibly long. He was turning into one of those old pervs in the tan overcoats and big hats seducing 18 year old girls…fabulous.

Valkyrie pulled herself closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

For once, the voice at the back of skulduggery's head shut up. Completely, just savouring Valkyrie lips on his.

Then the lights went out and their was a shrill scream from outside and valkyrie broke away, gasping.

Skulduggery already had a flame in his hand and he watched the shock and fear on her face.

He pulled her closer

The door burst open and someone flew in, holding a flame. Valkyrie screamed in shock, and then the figure screamed because she screamed. And then they both stopped screaming and Valkyrie blinked stupidly, at heather standing holding a flame in her hands.

' holy crap you frightened me' heather gasped.

' you frightened the hell outta me!' valkyrie said, her heart rate slowing.

' im sorry, I just came to see if you guys were ok, I mean, that scream would've give anyone a heart attack' heather took in skulduggery on the bed with valkyrie In his arms and raised and eyebrow 'anyway, sorry about the screaming. Like I said, paranormal suck. I'll, uh, leave you two guys to yourselves now'

She walked out and closed the door, leaving valkyrie and skulduggery alone…in the dark.


	3. The Orphan

Chapter three- The Orphan.

They sat quietly on the bed until they heard Heather's footsteps fade down the hall, and the click of her bedroom door closing. The room was pitch black and freezing.

'This place,' Valkyrie whispered, 'Is creepy as hell'

'Agreed'

Valkyrie realised Skulduggery still had his arms around her and they both pulled away awkwardly.

'Well…you better get some sleep. Big day tomorrow and God knows w_hat _will happen,' Skulduggery said, getting up. He could, somehow, find his way surprisingly well in the dark.

'Skulduggery wait,' Valkyrie said.

She heard Skulduggery stop.

'Yes?' he asked quietly.

'Come back.'

There was silence for a painfully long three seconds then she felt Skulduggery sit at the edge of the bed.

'What do you think is up with this place?' Valkyrie whispered

'I don't know, but whatever it is, it isn't nice' Skulduggery said darkly, 'Bad things are coming for us, Valkyrie'

'And we'll be ready'

'We'll be ready'

Valkyrie smiled in the dark, and touched Skulduggery's hand lightly

'Thanks, Skulduggery'

'Always'

Valkyrie fell asleep soon, and Skulduggery went to sit by himself on the little love seat.

_You should've kissed her again you stupid lemon _The annoying voice at the back of his head said

Shut up. Skulduggery thought angrily. His inner self was asking for a good kicking.

_It's not MY fault you didn't have the courage to kiss her again! I would hit you with a chair…if I could find one. _

'If you're not careful, I'll whack my head off a desk for _so _long you won't know which way is which,' Skulduggery said under his breath.

_Well neither will you _

'Shut up,' Skulduggery murmured.

Valkyrie awoke from her bad dream and groaned quietly.

She wasn't a morning person.

She said good morning to Skulduggery then went and showered and dressed.

When she came back into the room, Skulduggery was wearing a navy blue suit with a matching tie and crisp white shirt.

'Are you ready to look around?' Skulduggery asked

'Yep' Valkyrie said

They started downstairs in the hall, tapping on the walls and floors and searching for trapped doors and such.

Daniel came and helped Skulduggery by copying him, banging on the walls, a little too enthusiastically.

Valkyrie tapped random floorboards around the hall, and came to a loose one that lifted slightly when she stepped on it.

She stopped and frowned, then hunkered down and yanked up the plank of wood.

'Skulduggery?' She called, 'I found something.'

Skulduggery came over and hunkered down beside her, then dipped his hand in to the hollow space below the floorboards and pulled out the little old red box, sealed with frayed string.

Skulduggery pulled the string off and opened the box. Valkyrie was amazed to see the old letters inside.

Skulduggery seemed to tense up suddenly.

'Skulduggery? What's wrong?' Valkyrie asked, concerned

Skulduggery shook his head.

'Nothing,' He said.

Valkyrie hesitated then took the red box gently from his hand.

'Come on' Valkyrie said. She stood up and took Daniels hand, and Skulduggery followed as they went into the living room.

Valkyrie sat on the leather sofa with Skulduggery sitting opposite, and Daniel sat on the floor, drawing with crayons.

Heather sat on the sofa with Valkyrie.

'They're letters that children wrote,' Valkyrie said quietly

Heather said nothing

'They're…they're _Santa letters_' Valkyrie said, scared now

Valkyrie read the letter she was holding. It was written in a curly sort of scrawl, and it looked like a four year old had written it. There were spelling mistakes

_Deer santa _

_please this year I only want my mummy and daddy bak, please? _

_Love _

_Logan _

Valkyrie bit her lip

'This one's from a boy called Logan,' Valkyrie managed, her voice cracking, 'He's asking for his parents back.'

Skulduggery became stiff again, and fidgeted with his hands.

'Skulduggery, what's wrong?' Valkyrie asked

'Um…nothing. Not a thing,' Skulduggery said, 'Let's go look around more'

He got up hastily and took Valkyrie's hand, pulling her up and out of the room.

He got her to the top of the stairs before Valkyrie stopped and would go no further.

'What in the hell is wrong with you?' She protested, struggling when Skulduggery tried to pull her forward.

'I'll tell you if you stop arguing with me,' He murmured, 'and stop struggling'

Valkyrie stopped struggling and shut her mouth.

'Right. Good.' Skulduggery muttered

He took her hand again and led her to their room. He shut the door behind him and turned to her.

She was sitting in the love seat watching him.

'Now tell me,' she said.

Skulduggery went over to the desk and brought the chair over.

He looked at Valkyrie for a long time before speaking.

'I'm Logan' He said

Valkyrie blinked

'What?'

'I was the boy that wrote the letter' He said, nodding to the letter Valkyrie was still holding.

Valkyrie stared

'You…you lived here?'

Skulduggery nodded

'I lived here when it was an orphanage' he said quietly.

'Skulduggery…What happened?'


	4. The Unexpected to be Expected

Chapter four- The unexpected to be expected.

'When I was five my parents died,' Skulduggery said quietly, 'I was brought here, a few weeks later, because I hated my relatives so much I could stay with none of them.'

Valkyrie was quiet, but reached slowly to touch Skulduggery's hand as if to comfort him.

'My name, my given name, was Logan Song,' he looked at her, 'I can trust you with that. I know you're the only one I can trust with that information'

Valkyrie nodded

'And I wrote that letter, because I wanted my parents back so badly. They weren't…the best of people, but when they were gone, I just wanted them back. I always thought they'd come and get me, and take me home. I wrote them letters, telling them I'd be good, telling them I'd behave, so long as they would come back. But when they never did, I started to hate them for leaving me. I hated my whole family,' He said softly, 'For leaving me alone in the orphanage' He stood up and put his hands in her pockets. Valkyrie could tell how sad he was.

She tried her hardest not to let the tears that clouded her eyes roll down her cheeks, and she stood up and instantly hugged Skulduggery tightly, her arms tight around his neck, her face buried in his chest. Skulduggery hugged her back tightly.

'Thank you, Valkyrie' Skulduggery said.

'No problem'

They hugged until they heard a loud crash and they ran down the stairs.

Daniel was standing on the sofa, a look of shock on his small face, and Heather shaking him, asking him repeatedly what had happened.

Daniel said nothing, but pointed to the window. Valkyrie turned, and that's when she saw it.


	5. Little Girl

Chapter 5- Little Girl

Valkyrie wanted to cry and run, but she also wanted so desperately to run outside and help the little girl that stood helplessly at the window.

Instead, she stood in shock, unable to speak.

The little girl who stood at the window had long fair hair, tied in plaits. Her blue pinafore was blood stained and ripped and Valkyrie saw the gaping hole through her chest like someone and tore through it with their bare hands. Her white t-shirt was blood soaked and ripped as well.

Her face was nearly unbearable to look at. She had no eyes to start off, but it wasn't like the two tiny holes like Sanguine had. They were large gaping holes, like someone had ripped them out, along with part of her skull. There was no brain, just another gaping hole, and no back to the skull, so the light shone through in an eerie way. Her cheeks had been slit from her mouth to her temples, and the skin hung off. Her tongue looked burnt and parts of her face had been ripped off.

She was banging frantically on the window, and her cries were pleading. She was begging them to let her in, begging them to save her. She looked so young.

'Please let me in!' She cried desperately, 'Please! Let me in or he'll get me!' her voice was high and sweet.

Valkyrie watched as tears flooded down the little girls cheeks, coming from the eerie holes where her eyes were meant to be.

Valkyrie watched for a couple more seconds then made for the door, but Skulduggery grabbed her back.

'Don't go out there,' He said, 'It's dangerous'

'I have to help her,' Valkyrie cried

'Please!' the girl screamed, sobbing, 'I don't want to die!'

'You're already dead, Madelyn,' Skulduggery said flatly

Valkyrie stared, confused.

The girl, Madelyn, stopped screaming, and tried her best not to sob. Tears still rolled down her cheeks, and she reached up to wipe them away. She only had three fingers on her right hand.

'W-what?' She asked, still sobbing

'You're already dead' Skulduggery said again, 'I'm so sorry Madelyn, you died 20 years ago'

Madelyn sobbed again

'P-please' She cried 'Please just let me in, I'm r-really s-scared, I just w-want to g-g-get away from him, please!'

Skulduggery was silent, and then he turned and ran to the door.

'It's locked!' He shouted angrily from the hall, probably trying to open the door.

'Try and break it down!' Valkyrie yelled back, then she put her hands up to the window and Madelyn's put her hands up to go against Valkyrie's against the glass.

'We're going to get you in here, don't be scared, ok?' Valkyrie said urgently

Madelyn nodded

'I don't want him t-t-to get me. Am…am I really d-d-dead?'

Valkyrie didn't answer, then she noticed then silhouette running towards them in a creepy way, but he was gaining fast.

'He's here! He's going to get me!' Madelyn screamed, panicking again, 'Help me, Valkyrie! Please!' She screamed again, just as Skulduggery got the door open. Then Valkyrie saw the flash of a child approaching at speed, then Mandy's screams, and a white flash blinded Valkyrie. When she got her eyesight back, there was nobody there, just small, bloodied hand prints on the window, and Valkyrie could see Skulduggery out in the front garden. He lowered his head, clenched his fists, and then came briskly back into the house.

He slammed the door and stormed upstairs.

It wasn't hard to tell he was angry.

Valkyrie hesitated and looked over at Daniel and Heather, who were sitting shaken on the sofa

'Are you ok?' She asked, coming over and sitting beside them.

'Yes, we're fine,' Heather said, hugging Daniel close, 'You better go and see if Skulduggery's ok.' She added softly

Valkyrie nodded then turned and went up the stairs, two at a time. She opened their bedroom door softly, and shut it again behind her.

Skulduggery was standing leaning his hands on the windowsill and looking out at the grey skies and fields. He turned when he heard her.

'Are you ok?' Valkyrie asked

Skulduggery stuck his hands in his pockets and tilted his head to the side.

'I should've let you go out there, maybe we could've saved her,' he said

'Who was she?' Valkyrie asked

'The girl who was murdered here. The girl I was sent to investigate about. We could've saved her'

'No, we couldn't have. She was dead already; she was just a ghost, Skulduggery. I don't think we could've saved her, even if we had gotten out in time'

'But we coul-' Skulduggery was cut of when Valkyrie grabbed his coat lapels and crushed her mouth against his.

She'd been waiting for a while to do that, and now seemed like a good time.

Skulduggery cupped her face and Valkyrie stood on her tip toes to kiss him again. Even though she was definitely tall for her age, Skulduggery was taller.

Valkyrie broke away and looked him straight in the eye (well, socket)

'We couldn't've saved her. You said yourself, she'd died twenty years ago,' Valkyrie realised how much she sounded like Skulduggery now. Like it was vice versa. He was the one that was sure they could've saved her, and was getting beat up about it, and she was the one comforting him and trying to convince him they couldn't've done anything.

'Do you know who that was?' Skulduggery asked quietly

Valkyrie silently noted their foreheads nearly touching, and that Skulduggery still had her face cupped gently in his hands.

'No,' Valkyrie breathed

'She was the girl who was found brutally murdered here,' he said

Valkyrie swallowed. Deep inside her she'd known all along whom the girl was, but she figured she hadn't wanted to accept that little fact…

'There's something very strange going on here, Valkyrie' Skulduggery said

'We'll be ready for it'

'Always'

Valkyrie went to bed early that night. She was extremely tired, after the eventful day.

She climbed into the bed and lay down, yawning.

Skulduggery sat beside her and said nothing.

'What do you think is here?' Valkyrie asked

'What do you mean?'

'I mean what do you think is causing all this creepy stuff?'

'I honestly don't know'

'I think it has something to do with Daniel. Like, I don't think _he's_ evil or something but whatever it is…has a connection with him,' Valkyrie left out the part about Thomas_. _

'Well we'll talk to him tomorrow in that case, but for now, you better get some sleep'

'I will'

'Good girl. Oh, and Valkyrie?'

'Yup?'

'I love you'

Valkyrie smiled, though she was sure Skulduggery could see it in the dark.

'I love you,' she said, then reached up and kissed him.


End file.
